Szymon Marciniak only got into refereeing after he was shown a red card in his playing days

Szymon Marciniak, who takes charge of today’s World Cup final, says he only started refereeing because he was once sent off for abusing an official during his playing days.

The 41-year-old Pole recalls how he reacted badly in his youth after being tackled from behind. “He was quite a promising player according to my coaches, but I was sent off once when I was fouled from behind. I started to argue and wanted a red card for the opponent, but the referee did not agree with me.

Hew said: ‘for this, dissent, yellow card for you, Marciniak. And I was like: ‘What are you telling me?’ They fouled me from behind and almost ruptured my Achilles tendon, and you give me a yellow card. So I started again and he gave me a second yellow card. Then I got angry and said: ‘You are the worst referee I have ever seen in my life.’ Of course, I used worse words than those.

“We talked after the game and he told me: ‘If you think this is an easy job, you can go and try it.’ You will see.’ And I was thinking, why not? I have to show that he is really poor and I will be better. So, I immediately went to a course.’

Marciniak rose through the ranks quickly and was in charge when Lionel Messi’s Barcelona were beaten 4-0 at Paris St Germain in 2017.

As one of UEFA’s top referees, he was on his way to officiate during Euro 2020, but had to withdraw due to heart disease. “I have had a very difficult time over the last year and a half. I had tachycardia, a heart disease. At the beginning it was very difficult for me and I had to stop.

I missed the Eurocup, which for a referee in his prime is a terrible feeling. But sometimes I think that life takes something from us to give you double happiness back. I am a great example of this because I regret it a lot. Only me and my team know how difficult it was for me. But now life has given it back to me and I can’t stop smiling because it’s a great feeling.’

With his shaved head and piercing gaze, he looks like Pierluigi Collin, and friends joke that Italy’s most famous Italian referee is Marciniak’s godfather. “I met Collina, who was the boss at the time at UEFA, and my friends said: ‘Haha, you look alike, he’s like your godfather.’

“I am proud to make him proud because I know that from the beginning he believed in me. He was the second observer watching me in the second [round of qualifying in the] Champions League matches, so I know that’s why it’s also very important for me to make those people happy.”

One of his assistants has a family connection to Argentina in a World Cup final: Tomasz Listkiewicz’s father was a linesman when West Germany beat Diego Maradona’s team in a stormy 1990 final, with two Argentines sent off.

“We are proud that Tomasz’s father was a great international referee and was the linesman in the grand final. So after 22 years, we have another one.

And expect a fast and intense game this time around, with Argentina and France brimming with energy in the first World Cup in mid-winter. ‘Now the players are fresh, they want to win. You see the fire in his eyes.

‘We expect a very fast game; this is the final, nobody wants to concede a goal, so I hope maybe at the beginning, being a little careful. But they have such big names, such big stars, anything can happen. So concentration, concentration, once more concentration. There can be no relaxation, not even for a second. This is my task for the game.